Field Exercise: Caddy Canyon Debris Flow(s)

This activity has benefited from input from faculty educators beyond the author through a review and suggestion process.

This review took place as a part of a faculty professional development workshop where groups of faculty reviewed each others' activities and offered feedback and ideas for improvements. To learn more about the process On the Cutting Edge uses for activity review, see http://serc.carleton.edu/NAGTWorkshops/review.html.

This activity was selected for the On the Cutting Edge Reviewed Teaching Collection

This activity has received positive reviews in a peer review process involving five review categories. The five categories included in the process are

Summary

This exercise focuses on field observation and analysis of a debris flow that occurred near our campus in 2002. The strengths of the exercise are its emphasis on field observation, data collection, and synthesis of evidence.

Context

Audience

This assignment has been used in a senior-graduate level geomorphology course with lower and upper division prerequisites.

Skills and concepts that students must have mastered

1. Students should be able to identify and describe evidence of debris flows.
2. Students should be able to synthesize evidence to determine the causes and effects of the debris flow.
3. Students should be able to evaluate effectiveness of engineered structures designed to prevent damage from future events.

How the activity is situated in the course

This is a stand-alone exercise in a diverse series of laboratory and field exercises.

Content/concepts goals for this activity

Higher order thinking skills goals for this activity

1. integration of field observations and data analysis
2. development of improved engineered structures

Other skills goals for this activity

Description of the activity/assignment

This exercise consisted of a five-hour field exercise and subsequent data analysis. In the field, students made individual observation, participated in discussions of evidence, and collected group field data. Data analysis consisted of calculations of sediment yields, channel slopes, and erosive power.
Designed for a geomorphology course
Addresses student fear of quantitative aspect and/or inadequate quantitative skills

Provenance: Sean Fox, Carleton CollegeReuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.

Provenance: GSAReuse: If you wish to use this item outside this site in ways that exceed fair use (see http://fairuse.stanford.edu/) you must seek permission from its creator.

GSA supports On the Cutting Edge

The mission of The Geological Society of America is to advance geoscience research and discovery, service to society, stewardship of Earth, and the geosciences profession. We support geoscience education at every level. Join us at http://www.geosociety.org/

Provenance: NAGTReuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.

Value this site? Help us ensure its future.

The On the Cutting Edge website and workshop program are supported by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT). Join today and your membership will help ensure that this site can continue to serve geoscience educators. Join NAGT today

Provenance: NAGTReuse: This item is offered under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ You may reuse this item for non-commercial purposes as long as you provide attribution and offer any derivative works under a similar license.

Your NAGT membership helps make this site
possible. Thank you!

The On the Cutting Edge website and workshop program are supported by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT). Your membership is helping to ensure that this site can continue to serve geoscience educators.